This invention relates generally to a pitch-containing composition. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an aqueous composition in the form of a slurry or dispersion containing a finely divided pitch dispersed in water.
As a result of the decrease of high quality petroleum crude oils in recent years, a need was increased for converting heavy, poor quality hydrocarbon oils into light hydrocarbon oils. Thus, a variety of petroleum refining plants have been constructed for the conversion of heavy oils into light oils by a solvent deasphaltene method, a thermal cracking method, a catalytic cracking method or the like method. These processes unavoidably yield, as a by-product, pitch formed of extremely heavy hydrocarbon components. Since pitch has generally a lower content of ash and a higher heating value than coal, an attempt has been made for the utilization of pitch as a fuel for various combustion installations. However, unlike liquid petroleum, pitch is a solid at room temperature and, therefore, requires relatively high costs such as for transportation and storage. Further, since pitch in the molten state fails to exhibit a desired fluidity, it is not possible to use it as a fuel for combustion in a furnace wherein the fuel is streamed through pipes and sprayed from a burner nozzle.